2021
"Hi!"
"Hello beta, How are you?" (Endearing term for a child)
"I'm great, Ma. Aap batao?" (What about you?)
"I'm fine too dear. Office kaisa chal raha hai? Aaj kal bahut busy rehti hai. Mere liye toh time hi nahi rehta!" (How's everything at the office? You've become such a busy girl. Don't even have time for your mother!)
"Hahaha! Aisa nahi hai Ma, aap ko aaj hi call karne wali thi." (Nothing like that Mom. I was planning to give you a call today only.)
My mother chuckled in response before proceeding to ask me more questions. I hadn't spoken to her in more than a week and I was missing her. She stayed in the same city and yet I hadn't visited her in over a month. I will drop by her place over the next weekend. I thought to myself. My apartment gets lonely on weekends and I didn't have a lot of work in the upcoming week. I didn't like taking my work there. This way I could unwind easily at home. I talked with my mom about everything and nothing for almost an hour when I realised it was late at night. It was time for her to sleep. Even I had a busy day at the office the next day and I decided to go to bed. We wished each other good night and I hung up.
It's been almost a week since the meeting with Mrs.Sabharwal in which she declared that we'll be working with more people. The Data Analytics team which she hired was scheduled to arrive tomorrow. I was responsible for briefing them and I wanted to make a solid first impression.
***
It was noon by the time I finally got up from my desk to go get lunch. I had been working in my office since today morning and my legs had gone sore from being in the same position for hours. Moreover, the team of Data Analysts could be here anytime and I had to be back soon to not miss them. I met Shreya on the way who handed me a file to go through before lunch. Being too lazy to go back to my office, I thought I'll just read it on the way to the food court. I was habituated to reading and walking at the same time from a young age. My parents always asked me not to do that but I could not let go of the habit and eventually, they gave up. I was halfway there when I crashed into something. Or someone.
"I'm sorry! I was walking and texting at the same time and didn't see where I was going," the person said.
Wait, why does his voice sound so familiar?
I looked down at the file that was now drenched in some sort of orange liquid. So much for reading it before lunch. "I'm so sorry! I wasn't-" I began saying, but my voice got caught in my throat when I looked up. It was him. After all these years, I thought I'd never see him again. He was busy wiping the file with the tissue in his hand and when our eyes met, recognition flashed in his features and was gone as soon as it came. His jaw clenched and he looked away. So he was still angry? I couldn't blame him though. It was my fault after all. I cleared my throat and continued, "I'm sorry, I should have paid more attention to where I was going."
"Yeah, but it was both of ours' faults. Anyway, what's done is done. Be more careful next time." He said. There was, surprisingly, no hostility in his voice. Quite the opposite instead, it had a warmth to it.
"I'll keep that in mind. I haven't seen you around here before. Are you new?"
"Yeah, I just joined on a temporary assignment with my team. I believe the Managing Editor will be giving us a tour in some time."
"Yes, she will. Anyways I got to go. So see you around."
I couldn't bring myself to tell him that I was the one who would be giving him a tour. He'll find out eventually anyway. I was glad he didn't bring up the past or treat me any differently. I didn't expect him to keep that promise after everything that went down back then. And as I take a seat on one of the empty tables with my lunch, I'm taken back to that December in 2014, a month before things went downhill.
Lunch Break, secluded area of the cafeteria, December 2014:
"Hey"
"Hi!"
I sat down next to him, my thoughts running wild. I was overthinking about the future again. Can you be so certain about what happens after High School? What if we don't end well? The chances of not ending up together were more than actually ending up together. We had had this discussion before and knew that nothing can be said about the future. But the present was in our hands and we were going to make the best out of it. That's what we had decided.
"What are you thinking?" His voice broke me out of my trance. He intertwined our hands and kissed my cheek. I couldn't help but smile giddily.
"Nothing," I lied.
"Stop lying! I can tell when you're worried about something,"
He chuckled. I sighed before saying, "Yaar Anquit, what if this doesn't work out? I know we have spoken about this before but what if we end on bad terms? I don't want to completely lose you."(Yaar: Dude)
"You won't okay? I assure you, you're not getting rid of me that easily."
"But..."
"Sshh!" He put a finger on my lips, not letting me say anything else. And we sat there in peace, watching the kids hustle about, getting their meals.
"I have an idea!" I exclaimed suddenly.
"Let's hear it."
"Okay, so this is kind of lame, but you know if we ever break up, we'll most probably lose contact because come on, junior college khatm hone ke baad who keeps in touch, right? So like, the next time we meet, irrespective of the past, and irrespective of how things end between us, we'll treat each other as strangers okay? Like complete strangers. We'll put away any grudges and just start over. That way, we won't even have to be awkward around each other!" (After college gets over)
He looked at me like I've lost it.
"Are you kidding me?"
"No, of course not. This is such a great plan!"
He stared at me thoughtfully for a couple more minutes. When he was sure this wasn't some silly prank., he said, "So you mean to say we just start over and pretend we don't even know each others names?"
"Yeah, something like that. That can be our second chance at this. Or we could end up as just friends. Either way, I feel it's a win-win situation! What say?"
"You have my word," He grinned. I smiled back at him just as the bell rang, signaling students to return to their classes.
***
I smiled at the memory. He had kept his promise. And it was obvious I had to keep my side of it.
"Who was that hottie?" Shreya's voice broke me out of my trance, as she took a seat on the chair opposite mine, cup of coffee and a box of lunch in hand.
"Who?" I asked incredulously.
"Come on! the person you just had a meet-cute with. I can smell a bubbling romance from miles away," She smirked at my discomfort. I internally groaned as the realisation that she saw our entire exchange sunk in. I wonder how many others witnessed it.
"Oh, you mean the idiot because of whom this file got spoilt?"
"Not a big deal if it means you get to meet your soulmate. One could sense the sexual tension between you guys from the roof of this building, and we're on the ground floor. "
"Pfft! Sexual tension my ass, the only thing you sensed was resentment. He was my ex after all."
Shreya choked on her coffee, spitting it out on the table, while I chuckled at her. Her reaction was so worth it. I handed her a tissue as she began again,
"I thought the only ex you had was Su-Nevermind, I'm not taking the devil's name in front of you, not after the last time."
"Yeah, well we dated briefly in High School before I shifted to Mumbai with my mom. Let's just say, things didn't end well. And this time, it was my fault."
"Why? What happened? How long did you guys date? Did you love him?"
"Calm down Curious George! That is a story for another day. We dated for a few months. Yeah, I loved him back then but it was different. Back then, we were kids and it was innocent and immature, you know? But love all the same. I guess my only regret would be the way we ended things; Albeit it was my fault but still. We both owe each other closure."
"I guess you're right. Anyways, we should get going. You owe them a tour of the office, after all."
***
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